Doha Airport (Qatar)

[Countdown]

Hi folks

A few quick questions about stopovers at Doha Airport; the wife & kids are travelling to Islamabad over Easter with Qatar Airways. Due to work commitments I won't be able to go with them. The flight involves a 3 hour stopover at Doha Airport. Does anybody know what the airport is like for 3 energetic kids (aged between 3 and 11) ? Is it fairly modern? Well sign posted? Helpful staff? How easy is the transit to the connection flight ?

TIA

[lockhart flawse]

I was there last week. They'll be absolutely fine.

L.F.

[Pints]

Mrs Pints and I (plus a 10 month old Half-Pints) had to spend a day there a couple of years back waiting for a connecting flight.

The main area is clean, but the toilets were atrocious. Your own bog-roll might be advisable.

If your missus is blonde, she can expect some major staring. They looked at Mrs Pints like she was made out of butter. And before you ask, no, she was modestly dressed in jeans and jumper. The stares weren't leary, more of a curious fascination, kind of like the way a 3 year old might watch someone in a wheelchair they'd not seen before.

[Pints]

Oh, and is it well sign-posted? No.

Also, there was simply no concept of queueing. They jostled a pregnant Mrs Pints, and me holding the Half-Pints, to the point where I thought we'd be knocked over.

I will never, ever travel via Qatar again.

[Countdown]

Thanks LF/ Pints.

Right PITA this travel lark. Have to get the Visas and immunisations sorted out which should be a bundle of laughs.

[Ynox]

st hole of an airport.

Toilets are fking awful.

There is a reasonable business lounge you can pay ($40-50 per person if I remember right) to use though. This had good (Western) toilets, beer etc. I had a 6 hour layover in Doha and it was money WELL spent!

[Puggit]

Pints said:

Oh, and is it well sign-posted? No.

Also, there was simply no concept of queueing. They jostled a pregnant Mrs Pints, and me holding the Half-Pints, to the point where I thought we'd be knocked over.

I will never, ever travel via Qatar again.

I've seen a similar experience in Dubai. Must be a middle-eastern thing

[Stu R]

Get an airport lounge service. It's a scumpit. By no means the worst airport I've had the displeasure of, but pretty grotty. About on par with Durham Tees Valley

[sinizter]

Puggit said:

I've seen a similar experience in Dubai. Must be a middle-eastern thing

If you are talking about queuing, that's a British thing.

[TomE]

They are in the middle of knocking down the old airport and building the New Doha International Airport (NDIA) at the moment.

The last time I went through (3 weeks ago) they had changed the arrival system whilst the work is being undertaken. People arriving at Doha get off the bus at one terminal entrance (the new arrivals terminal, a VAST improvement on the old one!) and people transiting continue onto a the old departures terminal or get directed to the satellite transit terminal at the back of the airfield.

The whole process is colour coded so it's difficult to get it wrong, but its just something to be aware of incase she misses the video they play about it just prior to landing.

[XJSJohn]

Doha has 2 terminals, one very nice posh one for Business and First class passangers and one that resembles the black hole of calcutta for the great unwashed (although still a much nicer place to be than Dante's 9th gate to hell, AKA heathrow T3)